It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I now realize I can’t post stuff on my blog and raise kids as well as create new work. I just don’t have the moments and it comes down to moments. In reality I have the time as we all do, when you really want to find the time for something, you find it. So for now I’ll be posting new work whether it be a painting or sketch on here as fast as I can. So here’s a piece I did a bit ago. Soon We’ll be caught up on super new work.

This isn’t my favorite piece, but it’s mine. Like it or love it, I made it.

There’s a new batch of sketches up in the store right now. Some of them have become paintings already and others are soon to be. Thanks to everyone who purchased the previous sketches and to anyone that just enjoyed them.

I’ve had a song repeating itself in my head for the past few months and like most people I really don’t even know the words to it but it still keeps on playing. When I pick up a pencil to sketch I start singing one line from the chorus before I begin. I don’t do it on purpose and before today I didn’t even realize that I was doing it . Today I grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil and my 2yr old ran up and sang, “Venna for youuuuuu.” I truly didn’t understand what she meant but a minute or so after, and right before I put the pencil to the paper from my lips came the singing words, ” Vienna waits for you.” I finally took notice of something I’ve been doing a lot. Hell it’s something I’ve been doing enough that my kid is equating me drawing with “Vienna”. The line of lyrics are from a song called Vienna by Billy Joel. I first heard the song in a movie my wife loves called 13 going on 30. She’s watched it a million times in front of me while I worked and every time that scene makes my ears perk up like a protective dog. That song just hit me when I first heard it, but why the fuck is it playing in my head all the time when even though I downloaded it ( which I don’t think its ever played on my iPod) I don’t really even know the lyrics to the song that well but it’s been on my brain for months. Here’s the lyrics below:
Slow down, you crazy child
You’re so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you’re so smart, then tell me
Why are you still so afraid?

Where’s the fire, what’s the hurry about?
You’d better cool it off before you burn it out
You’ve got so much to do
And only so many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want or you can just get old
You’re gonna kick off before you even
Get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you

Slow down, you’re doing fine
You can’t be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it’s so romantic on the borderline tonight
Tonight,
Too bad but it’s the life you lead
You’re so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you’re wrong, you know
You can’t always see when you’re right. you’re right

You’ve got your passion, you’ve got your pride
But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you crazy child
And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
It’s all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?
And you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want or you can just get old
You’re gonna kick off before you even get half through
Why don’t you realize, Vienna waits for you
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

I’ve recently been receiving a bunch of emails from collectors, galleries and people looking for commissions all of which are kind of asking, ” Where’s the new work? “. I’m making new work. I’m just not making it as fast as I used to. I still get up everyday take a shower, get dressed, cook breakfast for my kid, go for a walk, then go work on something in the studio. The difference is I’m not just pumping out piece after piece, and the major difference is I’m enjoying taking my time. I might have 30 plus paintings just sitting around that I haven’t shown anyone and I certainly could use the money from those that are interested but I find myself for the first time in my career to not be rushing things. A successful artist and close friend of mine recently told me to that I needed to get those paintings out because people are interested, and that I have “an open window” that other artist sometimes never get, and that window will close someday. I understand this is true and that my window is closing but I no longer feel like rushing. I’ve been rushing through this whole experience of being an artist and I want to truly enjoy the process of art making, good or bad. I don’t want to stay up late at night working on the second piece of the day, I want to enjoy my family and my craft. I don’t want it to, but if that window should close on me. Then let it close. Vienna waits for me.

I’ve been asked a lot lately if I am or will be selling sketches. I do sell my sketches but I haven’t put any in the store lately. I’ll put some up in the next week , of course I don’t expect anyone to buy them but they will be there if you decide to. Oh, see. That last sentence is so bad. I’m such a defeatist. Ok, here’s a sample of a sketch.

So everyone I have a new print of my “Butterfly” painting up on my online store. It’s a signed and numbered limited edition of 50 high quality giclee prints. So if you feel so inclined here’s a link to the store or click the link on the top menu. Thanks ya’ll.

My goal with revamping my old website to “just a blog” was that I would be able to post new images of work or discuss new things in my life faster than I had been able to before when I had to deal with writing code and other crap for my website. I have not being doing well. I’m not a slacker. Really I’m not, but i have been slacking at adding to my blog. I know, I know, there are a ton of bloggers that say the same thing and you might be one of them, but the truth is… I get busy. This blog is supposed to be about being both a full time artist and a full time stay at home father and if I was still just an artist I would have the time to add shit to this blog daily, “Oh, look at my new drawing. Oh look at my new painting. Look , I painted a face. Oh look at me I painted a pair of my wife’s heels. Oh wow! I just painted a bird.” I don’t want to discount what I do for a living because being able to paint paintings that people purchase is truly a blessing but since becoming a full time parent I’ve learned how tough it can be do get things done. Things as simple as watching your DVR’ed series finale of Breaking Bad.

Me: Inside my own head I say, ” Ok. I’ve invested years into this show let’s see how this beauty ends.”

Daughter: ” I want to climb on him.”

Me: “Hey wait.” ( pauses TV show) ” Go play with your legos. Go play with your tiger. Go play with anything else.” Awesome it worked. She goes to play with her legos.

Daughter: “Houuse, Houuse.” ( She returns minutes later with a stack of Legos bunched together in a shape no one could ever possibly live in).

Me: “Ugggghhh”. ( In parent speak ‘Ugggghhh’ means “What The Fuck Do You Want Now!”) So I stop my Breaking Bad Series Finale and will start it again later when she’s asleep.

My daughter is only about to turn two so since she’s been in my life I’ve had a ton of opportunities to do the things I wanted. Of course as she gets older it’s getting harder now to get things done. By getting things done I mean painting. Painting takes time. Ok, actually it does, and it doesn’t. I’ve made a pretty good living painting fast. Sometimes doing paintings in 30 mins or less like a Dominos Pizza and selling them. I don’t want to do that right now. I want to spend some real time working on my stuff. My daughter and my “new life” have different ideas. Whether it’s changing diapers, cooking meals, cleaning the house or countless other things, they’re eating up my painting time. I’m trying to work out new painting schedules all the time but like my daughter, they change daily.

Work is work. Whether from home or outside of home. Most people have a job to do in order to earn money to provide for themselves or for their families. My wife goes to work every weekday to earn that buck as do millions of others. I get the pleasure to stay at home to work on my art but now I mostly have the pleasure to stay at home and watch my kid grow from day to day. Sure most of my days I don’t get to paint daily as I once did but I’ve decided that’s a fair trade. For six years I painted daily and watched my sales and reputation grow and it was really great. Now I don’t paint daily and my rep has taken a big hit but the tradeoff is that I get to experience my child’s growth right before my eyes all aware that most parents nowadays don’t get that same chance. I get to play with my daughter all day, take walks and tons of other cool things that a bunch of parents miss out on.

This blog post is not a complaint about not being able to paint as much as I once did in any way, it’s actually the opposite. I’m lucky that I’m here at home watching my kid. There are a ton of parents that wish they could be in my place. My wife being one of them. I can’t imagine doing all the household shit that I have to do while going to a job everyday. I’m not saying I’m even good at any of it. Shit, most of the time the house is a mess and my child never gets out of her pajamas. It’s a juggling act that I try to work on daily, but for those women that go to a job and have to come home to do this without a partner, God bless you. Sure stay at home mom’s (or fathers) work hard too, but single mothers are the shit.